Time tested and shared

For Saturday’s Poem, I chose the poignant “Time Tested Beauty Tips” by American humorist, writer, teacher, television host, and journalist, Sam Levenson.  Levenson wrote poetry only on rare occasions, but this one was one for the ages and cherished by actress Audrey Hepburn, who said it was her favorite.

Levenson wrote it in the 1950s for his granddaughter, for whom he often read bedtime stories.  One night she asked him what she needed to do to grown up to be pretty.  The next night, he presented her with this poem. 

Time Tested Beauty Tips

For attractive lips,

Speak words of kindness.

For lovely eyes,

Seek out the good in people.

For a slim figure,

Share your food with the hungry.

For beautiful hair,

Let a child run his or her fingers through it once a day.

For poise,

Walk with the knowledge you'll never walk alone.

People, even more than things, have to be restored,

Renewed, revived, reclaimed, and redeemed.

Never throw out anybody.

Remember, if you ever need a helping hand,

You'll find one at the end of your arm.

As you grow older, you will discover that you have two hands,

One for helping yourself,

The other for helping others.

The beauty of a woman is not in the clothes she wears,

The figure that she carries,

Or the way she combs her hair.

The beauty of a woman must be seen from in her eyes,

Because that is the doorway to her heart,

The place where love resides.

The beauty of a woman is not in a facial mode,

But the true beauty in a woman is reflected in her soul.

It is the caring that she lovingly gives, the passion that she shows.

The beauty of a woman grows with the passing years.

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